reviewed: formatt | fragments; ps: shuttle 358 / frame

[Boban Ristevski <sir_blacktooth@xxxxxxxxx>]

formatt | fragments - formatt lives in Turnhout (a
city near Antverpen - and that's the place where the
members of dEUS are from ? and that is, of course, in
Belgium). Except formatt, i don't know anything about
the electronic music scene in Belgium and i don't know
does any music scene with labels and artists exist
there. However, formatt makes one of the most
interesting sounds i've heard not only lately, but
generally. He has one release called fragments, and
besides the music, the cover of this release is great.
I don't know why, but this fragmented formatt
soundscapes make me thing about some northern
countries like Norway or Finland, icy and crystal
landscpaes. The music is generally minimal
microsounds, but that doesn't mean anything concrete.
The rhythms are constantly fractured, all layers of
sound are fitting perfectly in the simple but
effective songs (formatt tracks are really great
thanks to the seeming simplicity), there is also good
sense for experimenting, but the melodies are very
listenable, which reminds me of some of the greatest
musics that exist, and that are the tracks on systemf3
label (and hobby industries too) ? opiate, acustic,
dub tractor?
There is also a diversity in formatt sound, which is
ok. Not everything else sounds like the tracks on
Fragments. Some other tracks (like |-|| and ||-|) are
even more minimal. Finally, i won't be surprised if
sometime in near future i hear a formatt track on
compilations like clicks + cuts, staedtizism, bip-hop
generation or other future mille plateaux, ~scape,
bip-hop, city centre offices, morr? compilations.
Formatt sound has something that can be related only
to formatt. These sounds are recognizable, the kind of
microsounds with identity that i was writing about in
the review of o + noto album wohltemperiert. o + noto
collaboration = faceless sounds, just sound-for-sound.
formatt = formatt. I guess that's why i like formatt
music more than all those faceless musics.

ps: shuttle 358 : frame : 12k

I suppose everyone else from this mailing list has
heard Shuttle 358 album Frame long time ago, except
me. First time I heard it few months ago. But i think
this will be one of the few albums that will last for
a long time. Same as Biosphere's Substrata ? it never
gets boring as the time passes. Timeless music. Has
anyone heard Dan Abrams mille plateaux album Stream?
Does it sound similar to Frame?

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